‘American Horror Stories’: 5 Things You May Have Missed in Season 2’s “Dollhouse”

Have you ever wondered how Spalding (Denis O’Hare) came to live at Miss Robichaux’s Academy in Coven? No? You’ve never wondered that? Well, it doesn’t matter because that question has been officially been answered.

“Dollhouse” follows a deranged toymaker, also played by O’Hare, who is obsessed with finding the perfect mother for his son. He goes about his search the only way he knows how: by kidnapping women and forcing them to do competitive chores while dressed as dolls. Yeah, Spalding never stood a chance. By the end of the competition, the telekinetic Coby (Kristine Froseth) is the winner as she was the only one who tried to save little Otis (Houston Jax Towe) from his insane father. When Coby finally escapes, she takes Otis with her to a certain school for exceptional young ladies. Spalding came to work for Miss Robichaux’s Academy because his mother was a student there.

Even though Spalding does get a happily-ever-after of sorts, there’s a dark note to this happy ending. Before the witches saved Coby, she and Otis had a chance to escape. But instead of fleeing with her, he attacked her with a taser, a betrayal that led to his father turning Coby into a living, breathing doll. Also, the only reason Otis didn’t tell his dad to kill Coby was because he liked her “magic” tricks. The scheming, obsessive, and deceitful Spalding that we met back in 2013? Turns out he’s always been there.

Even the most casual Coven fans remember the tongue. After Myrtle (Frances Conroy) enchanted Spalding’s tongue so that he could never tell a lie, he knew that he would likely betray Fiona (Jessica Lange). In an uncharacteristic moment of extreme loyalty, Spalding cut out his own tongue. His last words to her were, “I have always loved you.”

“Dollhouse” contains a pointed nod to that deeply disturbing plot point. When asked about his mute manservant, Van Wirt diplomatically says, “He’s missing most of his… tongue.” Nothing is a coincidence on this show.

American Horror Story has always understood that masks, clowns, and clown masks are inherently creepy. Twisty the Clown has been haunting this universe since Season 4, and Cult saw its band of lunatics don masks before committing their various murder sprees. But the smooth, porcelain features of the masks in “Dollhouse” seem to be referencing another branch of horror.

At first glance, the babydoll masks worn by the five women trapped in this living nightmare look like two of the masks that appear in 2008’s The Strangers. But Coby’s final fate is more in line with Eyes Without a Face, the 1960 French horror film from Georges Franju. The movie follows a deranged surgeon who is obsessed with grafting a new face onto his disfigured daughter no matter how many lives he sacrifices in the process. For most of the movie, Christine (Édith Scob) has to wear an expressionless mask that looks very similar to the masks in this episode. Much like with Coby, that mask comes to be a prison.

Though Coby may be the breakout character when it comes to AHS lore, there’s a familiar face hiding in this episode. Throughout all of her tests, Coby is targeted by Aurelia (Abby Corrigan), another woman being held captive who is determined to be Otis’ mom no matter what. She’s convinced that winning this warped competition is the only way she can eventually escape.

Corrigan has never appeared in a Ryan Murphy show before, but she does have some experience with horror. The actor starred in Castle Rock, Hulu’s thriller set in the world of Stephen King. In the series, Corrigan played Georgia LaChance, one of the characters who goes to look for the body of Ace Merrill. If you need a refresher, Ace was the main bully in the movie Stand By Me as well as in the novella it’s based on, The Body. Also, the name of one of the kids he bullied? Gordie LaChance.

Not only did “Dollhouse” explain Spalding’s childhood, but it also gave us the rarest of gifts: a glimpse at young Myrtle Snow. That wild hair and those bold glasses look even crazier on a child.

As fun as this cameo is, it’s even cooler to see a version of Miss Robichaux’s Academy that doesn’t seem like it’s in complete disarray. Coven primarily revolved around this failing academy trying to overthrow its manipulative Supreme, Fiona. Apocalypse finally gave us that Supreme, but it was too focused on defeating the Antichrist to spend time on the school side of things. Now thanks to “Dollhouse”, we’ve glimpsed a version of this academy that seems functional and is thriving under the direction of Supreme Anna Leigh Leighton (Christine Ebersole). That’s insanely cool. Give us more old-timey witches, please.